June 12, 2006

I do not pretend to understand all the "history" involved with the various radio entities who have carried Pirate athletic events. Neither am I burdened with ties to any of these entities that would make me respond emotionally instead of attempting to do what is right for ECU while trying to be fair to everyone involved.

There have been a number of emotional reactions, a lot of misinformation and, unfortunately, some ugly personal attacks on various anonymous web postings. While these attacks have not been against me or other ECU employees, they will certainly have a negative impact on Pirate athletics for some time period.

Let's focus on the real facts and correct some web misinformation:

1. The Pirate radio network of recent years has had, at best, pitiful night-time coverage of Pitt County, although that improved considerably with the addition of 930 to the network last year.

2. ECU has had a one-year game broadcast agreement with 1250 for the last three years and with 1070 for the last two years with everyone's understanding that at some point ECU needed a large FM flagship station for its network.

3. There WAS an opportunity on the table last season to buy our way onto an area FM station (this was NOT 107.9 and was with a 25,000-watt station, NOT a 100,000-watt station).

4. The time lag that occurred was mainly because the 25,000-watt FM wanted EXCLUSIVITY in Greenville and Pitt County and we did not want to give them that exclusivity to get a 25,000-watt station.

5. NC State stepped in and "stole" this opportunity from us - thank goodness they did or we would not have the 100,000-watt opportunity that presented itself this year since we would have been under contract to a 25,000-watt station.

6. The reason the negotiations were at an impasse, is that ECU "stonewalled" the agreement unless the FM would agree to allow at least one of our local AM stations to carry the games. The FM had heard about 1070's upgrade to 50,000 watts, and although they finally agreed to talk to 1250, they would not consider letting a 50,000-watt AM compete with them locally.

7. In fact, when we got the word that NC State had taken the opportunity from us, the 25,000-watt FM was in serious negotiations with 1250 for an agreement that would have eliminated 1070 from all Pirate broadcasts.

8. Recent negotiations with a different 100,000-watt FM fell through because that station was unable to provide us with basketball and baseball coverage as part of the deal. However, this station also demanded local exclusivity for its flagship status in football so that seems to be a standard expectation for any "flagship" caliber FM from 25,000-watts up.

9. The current agreement gives ECU both a 100,000-watt FM and a 50,000-watt AM carrying our football games and a 50,000-watt AM carrying our basketball and baseball games.

If LOYALTY means "going to the wall" to help those who have helped you, then ECU Athletics gets an A+ because we went "to the wall" and lost a deal to NC State last season and still worked just as hard this year to attempt to include both stations.

I cannot believe that any reasonable person believes that LOYALTY is defined as asking someone else to do something that is clearly contrary to their own best interests in order to help your own agenda.

I know that ECU Athletics has NEVER asked either 1070 or 1250 to do something that would be contrary to its own best interests. In my opinion, that would be selfishness, not loyalty! And neither 1070 nor 1250 would ask that of us.

ECU has been loyal to both partners and has demonstrated a willingness to do everything reasonable (except to compromise ECU's future) to keep both included for game broadcasts.

No individual is more disappointed to lose 1250 from our game broadcasts than I am and I would have felt the same last year when 1070 would have been excluded.

We intend to continue to maintain relationships and work closely with both 1070 and 1250/930 with their daily programming, as we believe both of these relationships remain mutually beneficial opportunities for the radio stations and ECU athletics.

In every negotiation, ECU has fought hard to include both local stations even though 1070 has carried Pirate game broadcasts for only two years and 1250 has carried the broadcasts for only three years. The contracts with these stations have been one-year agreements because everyone knew and agreed that ECU Athletics had to eventually have a strong FM flagship station. We will continue to negotiate FM coverage for basketball and baseball.

From a personal standpoint, I truly appreciate the mature manner in which 1250 has handled what has to be a disappointing result for their station. They know that ECU was extremely supportive of 1250 during last year's negotiations that was one phone call away from putting their station in the driver's seat for local coverage.

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